


Love is in the small things...

by alex_fix



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Eventual Happy Ending, F/F, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-18 05:08:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28986879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alex_fix/pseuds/alex_fix
Summary: Waverly is planning a special dinner. Will Nicole make it in time?
Relationships: Nicole Haught & Randy Nedley, Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Comments: 2
Kudos: 79





	Love is in the small things...

Six thirty. Waverly’s instructions were clear, be home no later than six thirty. Nicole checked the time. Five forty seven. Thirteen more minutes before the end of her shift and she could be on her way. A text arrived, asking her to pick up more bread rolls. Brown, soft, no mention of number. Nicole replied asking how many. You decide came the response. How am I supposed to know how many, she thought. I’ll get ten, that way I can’t be wrong. Can never have too many soft bread rolls.

She knew Waverly was stressed. This particular evening was a big deal for her, the Head of Faculty coming to dinner at their house, with his wife and two teenage daughters, Waverly hoping he would agree to fund a new research project. He had been cagey about it for the past two months, two whole months sitting on her proposal, suddenly accepting an invitation to dine with them out of the blue.

Nicole had seen how much work Waverly put into the proposal, months spent revisiting all aspects so as not to be caught out by some minor detail overlooked in her enthusiasm to get this baby birthed. Nicole’s phone rang. “Hey, I’m literally finishing up here. Yes, I saw your second text. Okay, I’ll add that to the list. Any particular kind? Got it. Plenty of time. I won’t be late, promise. Don’t worry. It’ll be fine. Ten. I’m getting ten. Fine, I’ll pick up twelve. No, it’s okay. I’ve got it. Love you.”

One stressed girlfriend, she thought, as the call ended. Twelve rolls, two bottles of white wine, good quality and I’d better pick up massage oil. Unless, we have oil. Did we use it all? No harm in getting more. Fuck, three minutes past six.

Nicole closed the file, placing it back on top of the pile, turning off her desk light, heading towards the door. Nedley appeared from his office, a look that said he needed her, approaching her desk, hovering a few feet away. “Incident, off Main Street. Domestic situation.”

Nicole desperately wanted to tell Nedley she had another domestic situation of her own to deal with, plus a growing shopping list of items to be purchased, knowing she couldn’t, knowing this was the job she signed up for. Grabbing her coat she followed him out to the squad car.

On the short drive to where the action was happening Nedley filled her in. A couple, known for their volatile relationship, heard arguing by neighbours, an unusual occurrence on a week night, the pair usually reserving fights for the weekend, when one or both had been drinking. For whatever reason they were unable, or unwilling, to make whatever amounted to a relationship work. Cops had been called on previous occasions, cooling the couple down from the heat of their passionate exchanges, a uniformed officer mediating two people who lacked the capacity to communicate without it descending into verbal insults.

Her mind was elsewhere as they pulled up outside the house. Best not tell her yet, it’ll only stress her more and this should be over quickly. I can swing by the store near home. Might be a little late, but that’s alright as long as I make it in time for the meal. Rolls and wine. And, massage oil if they’ve got any. Rolls, wine, oil.

Nedley knocked on the front door, alerting the occupants to his presence, a man’s voice shouting back, telling him to go away. Nicole waited by the car, knowing Nedley’s calm approach usually ended these matters swiftly. Her phone buzzed. Waverly needed more sugar. She checked the time. Six fifteen, sending a text to say she was delayed. Her phone rang. “Where are you?”

“With Nedley,” Nicole whispered. “He cornered me before I left. I’m so sorry Waves. I’ll be home as soon as I can. Love you.”

She heard Waverly say she loved her too, the tone of her voice making it clear she was in trouble if she didn’t get home soon. She knew Waverly understood what the job entailed, understood there would be times it might come before everything else, still the guilt of letting her down weighed heavily. I’ll make it up to her. Get some flowers. She likes those yellow roses with the scent. Roses, rolls, wine, oil. Sugar. Fuck, nearly forgot sugar. That would go down well. You forgot the sugar. I knew you’d forget it. I won’t forget it. On my list.

It was gone midnight before she returned home. The hall light on, a sign she wasn’t completely in the doghouse. Extracting her feet from her boots, wiggling her toes at the freedom, she removed her heavy coat, entering the kitchen, a few dishes left in the sink and a note to say her dinner was in the oven. Her heart sank as she saw her meal in a Pyrex dish, still warm, food she would have shared with her girlfriend on the one night she most wanted to be by her side.

She placed the dish on a tray, heading to the dining table, still adorned with the floral centre arrangement Waverly spent hours on, the dim light from the kitchen her only companion. The emptiness of eating that meal alone hit her, each mouthful harder to swallow, tiredness and disappointment mixing with the taste of Waverly’s vegan risotto. An important event in their lives had passed, gone forever. Nothing would bring it back.

Footsteps on the stairs. “Hey, you’re back,” Waverly said, half asleep. “You okay. You look…”

“I’m so sorry. I should have called you.”

Waverly pulled out a chair. “It's okay. It’s the job. You look tired.”

“How did it go?”

“The meal. Fine. Better than fine. I got my funding. George didn’t want to make a formal announcement without talking it through first. His girls are just like him. His wife’s a little quiet. I think she wears the pants in that household.”

Nicole stared into the Pyrex bowl. “That’s fantastic. I’m so proud of you. Couldn’t get the rolls.”

“Kind of don’t need them now, obviously. Hurry up here and you can congratulate me upstairs.”

Nicole had no appetite. “You know I love you. Don’t you. Not just words. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Waverly replied. “You’re tired. It’s been a long day for everyone.”

I need to tell her, she thought. I need to explain what I saw tonight. I can’t. Not tonight, not on her night. Maybe never. There’s so much I can’t ever say. I’m hurting. And, I can’t tell her.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Waverly asked, catching Nicole’s eyes. “Did something happen?”

“I wish I’d been here that’s all. For you, on your night. Hate my job sometimes. This is lovely by the way.”

Waverly watched as Nicole separated grains of rice with her fork. “Tell me. Don’t hide things from me. Your eyes will give you away.”

“Long day. I guessed you’d get the money. Had to give it to you.” Nicole placed her fork in the dish, reaching for Waverly’s hand, the touch accepted. “It’s late. I’ll be up shortly.”

“That’s a brush off if ever I’ve heard one. You can talk to me, you know. I won’t dissolve into a pool of water. Did something happen?”

She could feel the tension building, Waverly probing to find out what lay beneath her responses. She picked up her fork again about to eat when Waverly found more words. “You know I’m not a child. You can tell me what’s going on. I don’t need to be kept out. Or, protected.”

Nicole placed the fork down once more, no longer able to enjoy Waverly’s food, in need of something more than physical sustenance. “I’m sorry. It’s hard. Hard sometimes not to bring it home. We’re told to leave it behind. And, this is your night. We should be celebrating your night. And, I couldn’t be here, that’s all.”

Waverly pulled her hand away. “I don’t care if you didn’t make this meal, or any meal. What I do care about is being on the outside of you. Do you understand?”

“I should have realised when the shouting stopped.”

“Realised what? Speak to me. Nicole, realised what?”

“Never a good sign when the shouting stops.”

“Who? Where you were tonight with Nedley. Is that what you mean?”

“I watched the light go out in their eyes and all I could think about was soft rolls. And, how I’d let you down.”

Waverly reached out, taking Nicole’s hand, squeezing it to let her know she was there, that soft rolls were the least important thing right now. “I’ll go up,” Waverly said. “I’m so proud of you. You’ll never let me down, do you hear me. Finish your meal. I’ll be waiting.”

Nicole struggled to meet Waverly’s eyes, finally bringing her gaze up. “Did you save any dessert?” she asked, earning a grin from Waverly.

“Perhaps. I may have a tube of squirty cream just for us. Don’t be too long.”

She waited until Waverly’s footsteps faded on the stairs, the sound of their bedroom door closing, walking the Pyrex dish to the kitchen, placing it on the side. Turning on the tap, she filled the sink with warm water and dishwashing liquid, watching as a multitude of bubbles formed. I’ve let her down. I’ve let a moment go and I’ve let her down. I can tell. She might not say it, but I know that look. And, there’s no going back. Ever.

Placing the washed dishes on the drainer, her attention fell on the Pyrex dish, uneaten risotto still inside. Scraping the meal into the bin, she dropped it in the water, letting it sink, staring into its watery grave. She would let it rest there overnight, what was left of the night, checking the time. Twelve twenty six. A perfectly good risotto wasted, what could have been a perfect evening wasted, a whole life wasted. On her watch.

She could tell Waverly was awake as she entered the bedroom, ready to resume their conversation. She didn’t want to talk, didn’t want to go over the moment one person decides taking the life of another is the only course of action left open rather than discussing whatever brought them to that moment. She wanted sleep, wanted not to have to think about anything for a while. Waverly switched on the bedside light, sitting up, watching Nicole at the end of the bed slowly removing her socks. “What’s bothering you the most?” she asked.

Always so perceptive, she thought. I can’t do this deep analysis shit. Not now. Maybe never. I need to lock this away. For now. Maybe forever. “I don’t know. Things happened, okay. I can’t make them unhappen.”

“Unhappen isn’t a word,” Waverly replied. “At least, I don’t think it is.”

“Whatever. I’m sorry. I just can’t. Can we drop it?”

“Sure, we can drop it. And end up not being able to tell each other the things that really matter in our lives. Things too heavy to carry alone. You do realise I don’t need some fairytale romance. I don’t need happily ever after. Sharing the bad is just as important as sharing the good with you.”

“I’m not doing this. Not now. It’ll spoil your evening.”

“Nicole. I needed…I wanted you here and you weren’t. And, it hurt. But, this, what you’re doing now hurts more. Hurts us. Makes me feel unimportant.”

Nicole turned, the light illuminating one side of Waverly’s face. “You are important. This isn’t about you. This is me trying to deal with something.”

“Make it about us. Make whatever you’re dealing with important enough to tell me.”

“It was my job not to let it happen. And, it happened.”

Waverly moved towards her. “Hey, hey. Baby, I’m sorry. It’s hard. I’m sure you did everything you could.”

“No, I let everyone down tonight.”

“You didn’t. There will be other nights for us. You needed to be where you were, with Nedley.”

“No, this is why I joined. To stop this happening. And, it happened.”

“But, you can’t stop others if they decide to do whatever it is they’ve chosen to do. Some things are out of our control.”

“My parents would argue. I’d sit in my room, listening. Always the same argument. One calling the other selfish, or inconsiderate. I heard a dish smash once. Dad home late, drunk, out with his so-called friends knowing he hadn’t told her.”

“Why didn’t you say? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I couldn’t stop the fights. I tried once, both shouting at me to stay the hell out of it. I knew then I’d be a cop. Cops can stop these things. Right. Stop people fighting for no good reason. And, I swore whoever I was with would never, never, ever hear me raise my voice. Never hear me call them names, or make them feel like they didn’t matter. Because they do. And, you do. And, I couldn’t get you those bread rolls.”

Waverly placed her arms round Nicole, her head resting on her shoulder. “The job you do doesn’t come with a cape. And, the life we have doesn’t need one either. You’re amazing, just the way you are. Nicole, with or without bread rolls. Your parents chose to be the way they were with each other. That’s not your fault. And, as much as being a cop gets you to protect people, sometimes you can’t protect others from themselves.”

The weight she’d been carrying for years lifted at Waverly’s words. “I don’t deserve you. I really don’t deserve you. And, I wanted to pick up massage oil. And…”

“We have some. Remember. Listen, my treat, unless you’re too tired.”

“Never too tired.”


End file.
